MPT gears up to tackle coronavirus scare

Vasco: The Mormugao port authorities have geared up to tackle the novel coronavirus scare while handling international and domestic passengers arriving at the port by cruise liners.

Speaking to this daily, Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) health
officer Mangesh Patil said, “Mormugao port is all set to handle the novel
coronavirus threat when cruise liners call at the port.”

He said the passengers travelling to Goa by foreign
cruise liners are screened on board the vessel with the help of a handheld
infrared thermometer device. “Actually, the passengers are pre-scanned at every port when a vessel
arrives. The passengers arriving at the Mormugao port will also be scanned at
the Mumbai port due to which the chances of any patients with symptoms of
coronavirus travelling to Goa will be almost nil,” Patil said.

“Mormugao port has taken all the precautionary measures
to combat the novel coronavirus. Till date, no suspected case of coronavirus
has been found,” Patil said and added that the authorities at the port are constantly
following all the guidelines issued by the central government and the state
government.